Karachi: An important information has emerged regarding the recent blast near Karachi airport in Pakistan. The blast near the airport has indicated that the attack was carried out with the help of a foreign intelligence agency.

According to media reports, a report submitted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to the anti-terrorism court said that the suicide bombing targeted Chinese engineers as part of a conspiracy to damage Pakistan-China relations.

Is a foreign intelligence agency involved in the attack?

Two Chinese nationals were killed and 17 others injured in a suicide attack by a Baloch insurgent group targeting a convoy of Chinese workers on Sunday. The suspected suicide bomber was also killed in a blast near Jinnah International Airport on Sunday night.

Initial reports identified the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as being involved in the attack and indicated that the attack was carried out with assistance from a foreign intelligence agency.

The report said this indicated that an unidentified terrorist had parked his vehicle close to the convoy of Chinese nationals before detonating the explosives.

Police reached the spot after hearing the sound of explosion

On hearing the blast, police rushed to the spot and found injured people including police and Rangers personnel. The Chinese nationals were working at the Port Qasim Electric Power Company on the outskirts of the city and were returning home when their convoy was attacked. A case has been registered at the Airport police station under the supervision of the station in-charge.

The CTD report includes charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, use of explosive materials and terrorism, among other counts. Earlier this week, a preliminary investigation report confirmed that 70 to 80 kilograms of explosives were involved in the tragic incident. On Friday, China said it has sent an inter-agency working group to Pakistan following the deadly suicide bomb attack in Karachi.

Chinese workers working on many projects in Pakistan

Thousands of Chinese workers are working on a number of projects in Pakistan under the aegis of the US$60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting CPEC projects.